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Acadie-Bathurst Titan
–99 | arena = K.C. Irving Regional Centre | colours = Blue, white, gold and red | coach = Mario Pouliot | GM = Sylvain Couturier | website = www.letitan.com | name1 = Rosemont National | dates1 = 1969–1971 | name2 = Laval National | dates2 = 1971–1979 | name3 = Laval Voisins | dates3 = 1979–1985 | name4 = Laval Titan | dates4 = 1985–1994 | name5 = Laval Titan Collège Français | dates5 = 1994–1998 | name6 = Acadie-Bathurst Titan | dates6 = 1998–''present'' }} The Acadie-Bathurst Titan is a junior ice hockey team in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL). They play at the K.C. Irving Regional Centre in Bathurst, New Brunswick. History The franchise was granted in 1969–70 as the Rosemont National. In 1971, they moved from Rosemount to Laval to become the Laval National, and later the Laval Voisins. In 1985, they became the Laval Titan, and in 1994, they became the Laval Titan Collège Français following a merger with the Verdun Collège Français, and then in 1998, they moved to Bathurst. The "Acadie" term in the team name refers to the city's surroundings, where the Acadian population is a majority. The franchise has won five President's Cups, one of which (in 1999) came during the team's tenure in Bathurst. In the Memorial Cup that year, the team finished winless in the round-robin. The most famous player that has come through the organization would undoubtedly be Mario Lemieux, who was drafted in 1984 by the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League (NHL). Lemieux played for the team during its tenure in Laval. Other famous franchise alumni include Mike Bossy, Gino Odjick, and Vincent Damphousse. Notable NHL alumni from Bathurst include Patrice Bergeron, François Beauchemin, Bruno Gervais, and Roberto Luongo. In the 1999–00 season, the Titan had the first female to be drafted by a QMJHL team, Charline Labonté, a 17-year-old Quebec goalie who spent parts of two seasons with the team.Canadian Gold 2010, Andrew Podnieks, p. 152, Fenn Publishing, Toronto, Canada, ISBN 978-1-55168-384-3 Relocation speculation On February 7, 2009, amid much speculation, the Titan franchise was given a 30-day relocation application extension by the QMJHL Board of Governors. With the club continuing to struggle with attendance and the recent struggles of the economy in the area, the team was rumored to be on the move if things did not turn around in the foreseeable future. The team's owner, Leo-Guy Morissette, entertained offers from a group of local investors in the Bathrust area, as well as a group from St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador. Morrissette eventually decided to sell the team to his daughter Annie Morrissette-Hebert and his son Stephane Morrissette, who would each own 50 per cent of the club. The move also ensured the team would remain in Bathurst for the 2009–10 season. At the end of the 2009–10 season, Léo-Guy Morrissette bought back control of the team from his children at their request. He then retained ownership of the team through to April 2013, but after the Titan were eliminated in the first round of the QMJHL playoffs by the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada, and with multiple years of consistently-low attendance records, Morrissette began contemplating selling the team. Local investors approached Morrissette about purchasing the Titan to keep them in Bathurst. Morrissette, in part pressured by low attendance figures and personal health issues, opted to sell the club to a group of local investors including steel industry businessman Leopold Theriault, Darrel Stohart and current NHL player Sean Couturier, as well as former Titan alumni and current NHLers Patrice Bergeron, Roberto Luongo, Bruno Gervais and Mathieu Perreault; the investors would all be part of a new 28+ member group led by Theriault. At the time of the sale, the team was reported to be worth just over $3 million. Retired numbers *'1' - Roberto Luongo — retired on August 19, 2012 *'10' - Claude Lapointe — used by Jules-Edy Laraque in 1999–2000 *'17' - Mike Bossy *'19' - Neil Carnes — used by Ramzi Abid in 1999–2000 *'21' - Vincent Damphousse *'22' - Martin Lapointe *'30' - Gino Odjick — used by Phil Ozga in 1999–2000 *'37' - Patrice Bergeron on September 25, 2011 *'66' - Mario Lemieux Note: numbers of players from entire franchise history from 1969 to present. Note:'''The Titan retired the number 37, worn by Patrice Bergeron between 2001 and 2003, on September 25, 2011. Bergeron is the first player to have his number retired since the Titan moved to Bathurst. After his QMJHL career, Bergeron went on to win a Stanley Cup in the NHL with the Boston Bruins in 2011, defeating the Vancouver Canucks, who were led by fellow Titan alumnus Roberto Luongo. Bergeron also won an Olympic gold medal at the 2010 Winter Olympics with Canada, alongside Luongo. Bergeron is also a member of the Triple Gold Club, a group of ice hockey players and coaches who have won an Olympic gold medal, a World Championship gold medal and the Stanley Cup.Titan website, Article on the Titan website. '''Note: The Titan retired the jersey number 1, worn by Roberto Luongo between 1998 and 1999, on August 19, 2012. Luongo, a fan favourite in Bathurst and also of New Brunswick, was the second player to have his number retired since the Titan relocated to Bathurst. Luongo has competed for Canada internationally in a number tournaments at different levels. As a junior, he won a silver medal at the 1999 World Junior Championships while being named Best Goaltender in the tournament, his second appearance. He then won two gold medals at the 2003 and 2004 World Championships, as well as a silver in the 2005 World Championship. He also won the 2004 World Cup of Hockey and appeared in the 2006 Winter Olympics, serving as backup to starter Martin Brodeur in both instances. Luongo succeeded Brodeur, however, as Canada's starting goaltender during the 2010 Winter Olympics, winning a gold medal alongside fellow Titan alumnus Patrice Bergeron. Luongo then led his Vancouver Canucks team to Game 7 of the 2011 Stanley Cup Final, which the team ultimately lost to Bergeron and the Bruins. NHL alumni Mascot * The Acadie–Bathurst Titan mascot is name "Bang-Bang," however there is a plan in place to replace him with a new mascot named "Maximus." Season-by-season record Playoffs Memorial Cup Team records See also *List of ice hockey teams in New Brunswick References External links *Official Site *QMJHL Arena Guide profile Category:Canadian ice hockey teams Category:Quebec Major Junior Hockey League team Category:Established in 1998